Car-brake



(No Model.)

' H. HANSON.

GAR BRAKE.

minus, ZnVeM/Z'am jerc ns iwyfi N, PETERS. PIwlo-Lilhognphof. Wmhington,D C.

50 either end thereof.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' HENRY HANSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,646, dated June14-, 1887.

Application filed January 3, i887. Serial No. 223,285. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRYHANsoN, of Boston, in the county of Sufi'olk,State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Gar-Brakes, of which the following is a descriptionsufficiently full, clear,

and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to whichsaid invention appertains to make and use the same, reference be ing hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side elevation showinga portion of a railway-trainprovided with my improved brake; and Fig. 2, adiagram showing theprincipal parts of the brake enlarged, the

cylinder being representedin vertical section.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figuresof the drawings.

My improvement relates to that class of car- 0 brakes known asair-brakes, being more especially designed for use on freight-cars; andit consists in a novel construction and ar rangement of parts, ashereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, the object being toproduee a simple and more effective device of this character than is nowin ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improve nient will be readily understoodby all conversant with such matters from the following 3r explanation.

In the drawings, A represents the body of the car, 13 thebrake-cylinder, and O the carwheels. The cylinder is secured to thebottom of the body A, or to a suitable support at- 3 5 tached thereto,preferably midway between the trucks D.

A piston, E, and piston-rod G are disposed in the cylinder B, the rod Gworking through an opening, 00, in one of its heads, y, the other 0head, 2, being closed. Around the rod G, be-

tween the head g and piston E, is disposed a stiffcoiled spring, H, saidspring acting ex pansively to constantly force the piston in thedirection of the head 2. Opening into the cyl- 5 inder near the headethere is a-pipe, 7c, provided with a stop-cock, m, said pipe beingconnected with a pipe, P, which extends the entire length of the carbeneath the body A and projects a short distance beyond the same at Thepipe P is provided near each end with a stop-cock, p, the correwhichalso projects from the body A. A brakebeam, T, is secured to the otherend of the lever B and provided with a shoe, TV, in the 1 usual manner.

The chain K is of such length that when the spring H is in or neatly inits normal position the end of-the lever B to which it is attached willbe drawn forward by the spring H, and the brakeshoe W thereby forcedagainst the wheelO. A chain, U, provided at one end with a claw-hook, f,adapted to engage the links of the chain K, has its opposite end soouredto the ordinary brake-shaft,V,as shown at t.

In the use of my improvement the brakeman, when coupling the cars of thetrain together, also connects the pipes P by means of theunion-couplings z, and opens the stopcockspp m, with the exception ofthe stopcock 1) at the rear of the train. The engineer, by means of thepump Q, then forces air into the cylinders B through the pipes P 70,thereby pushing the piston E backward, compress ing the spring H, andreleasing or taking off the brakes.

When it is desired to apply the brakes, the engineer opens the valveg inthe pipe P at the engine, allowing the air to escape from the pipe P andcylinder .13, thus permitting the spring H to force the piston E back,draw the chain K over the pulley L, and force the shoe W against thewheel 0.

It will be obvious that should any part ofthe train become accidentallydetached the air will escape from the cylinder, thus causing the brakesto be automatically applied and the cars stopped. It will also beobvious that when the cars are side-tracked or standing disconnectedfrom the engine the brake is always set or applied by the tension of thesprings.

To take off the brakes during the making up of the train, or whenever itmay be necessary, the chain U and claw-hook f are pro vided, by means ofwhich the brakeman operatingthe ordinary freight-car brake-1od,V,cancompress the spring H without the aid of the pump.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the brakes are applied byletting air out-of the cylinders and relieved or taken off by fore ingor pumping it into the cylinders.

The stop-cock m in the pipe 7; may be closed whenever it is desirable toshot a cylinder out of the circuit, or when it is necessary to keep theair in the cylinder and thebrakes relieved.

In Fig. 2 the lever to which the brake-beam is connected is representedas arranged vertically and pivoted to iheside ofthe downwardlyprojecting arm S.

In Fig. 2 a two-armed lever is pivoted to the lower end of the arm S inthe usual manner, said lever being connected with the brakebeams by rodsin the usual manner, and also with the chain K, thereby enabling bothbrakebeams to be operated simultaneously to, force their shoes againstthe wheels of the truck, the method of hanging the brake-lever andconnecting the same with the beam not being essential, provided saidlever is connected with the chain K.

I do not confine myself, therefore, to using two brake-beams to each setof trncks,or to ap plying the brake to each set of trucks when the caris provided with two sets, nor to any special means of constructing orhanging the brake-beam levers. Neither do I confine myself to anyspecial form of hook for the chain U, as any suitable means forconnecting said chain with the chain K may be employed,

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combinationof the cylinder, the piston-head with red and spring, the chain K, thepulley L, the rocking lever B, pivoted to an arm, S, and connected atits upper end to chain K and at its lower end to beam '1, having shoe\l', and the chain U, detachably connected to chain K and secured to thebrake'rod V, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the cylinder, the pipes P It, having stop-cocksp m, the cylinder B, with piston-head, rod, and chain, the pulley L,and the arm S, having rocking lever B pivoted thereto and connected atits lower end to the beam T, having shoe 7, of the chain K, connected tothe outer end of piston'rod and passing around the pulley, and havingits opposite end secured to the upper end ofrthe roel ing lever, asshown and described.

The combination, with the cylinder, the piston-head with red and spring,the pulley L, the arm S, having the rocking lever B pivoted thereto andconnected at its lower end to the beam T, having shoe \V,and the chainK, connected to red G, pulley L, and the upper end of lever Roi thechain U,dctachabl y connected to chain K at one end, its opposite endconnccted to the brake-rod, substantially as specified.

ll ENRY HANSON.

Witnesses:

O. M. SHAW, E. L. Siiwynn.

